Sierra Leone troops helping in fight against al Shabaab in Somalia

Oct. 12 - The African Union has launched another campaign against the al Shabaab militant group in Somalia and troops from Sierra Leone are joining the fight. Nathan Frandino reports.

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Marching along the Kismayo Gobweyn highway in Somalia, these African peacekeeping troops from Sierra Leone are on a mission.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) AMISOM SIERRA LEONE, LIEUTENANT JOSEPH ADEKULE, SAYING:
"The aim of this patrol is to patrol the Kismayo Gobweyn highway onto Gobweyn village, in order to clear all enemies along routes, al Shabaab elements along routes onto Gobweyn. That's our aim."
That's Lieutenant Joseph Adekule.
He's leading the Bravo combat team to reinforce an African Union campaign against Islamist militants there.
The efforts come after the al Shabaab militant group attacked the Westgate shopping complex in neighboring Kenya last month, killing at least 67.
The African Union wants to bolster their peacekeeping force but needs approval from the U.N. Security Council.
Sierra Leone has contributed hundreds of troops to international peacekeeping efforts since 2002 when its civil war ended.
Adekule is proud to take part in the mission.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) AMISOM SIERRA LEONE, LIEUTENANT JOSEPH ADEKULE, SAYING:
"It's good. Personally for me as a soldier to serve, and my boys as soldiers to serve in Kismayo, because during our war in Sierra Leone, other countries donated troops to see us for that particular trouble, and today we are here to do the same for another country."
The peacekeeping force is made up of troops mostly from Kenya, Uganda and Burundi.

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